The Affordable Care Act will make health coverage more affordable and more accessible for millions of Americans

October 1st will see the opening of the first Health Exchanges as part of the 2010 Affordable Care and Patient Protection Act. Many are confused about the law and how it will operate, and it also faces considerable opposition from the Republican right. Theda Skocpol and Lawrence Jacobs look at the core parts of Affordable Care and address some of the questions and controversies that have emerged around it.